Monthly Archive: August 2016

The pirates be seeking new Adventures this weekend, Arrrgh Begorah! The sweet trade calls to us in stories and songs, the sound of the rushing wind and the sight of land upon the horizon promise a full belly and a full treasure chest. Land Ho! It be time to go to shore and trade some songs for pieces of eight. It’s what every Leprechaun Pirate dreams of, sweet fine dreams of gold and jewels.

Sing a Song Arrrgh Begorah

I left my chores, my house and home
In search of treasure on the sea
No digging dirt out on the farm,
my spirit wanted to sail free.
Yo Ho and a bottle of Rum…
~ from “A Pirates Lullaby” by Beth Hansen-Buth

Being a musician on a pirate ship is an essential job, so is keeping up the morale of the crew between prizes. It can also be a bit of a chore, as any crew member can request a tune, and even roust the musician out of bed. So in some ways we are the hardest working members of a pirate ship. Still, it’s a job that needs doing, and it’s better than swabbing the deck. We can also pick up a little honest money when we go to shore at the local tavern or even street corner. Everyone loves a good tune and adventure on the high seas.

The Leprechaun Pirates will again be going on shore leave, this time for three full days of fun and frolic and pirates are especially welcome at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival on September 3, 4 & 5 • Passport to Adventure! So put on your favorite pirate gear and join us for a weekend of fun and feasting.

Gather your crew for your next adventure by spreading the word, just click on a gold doubloon below Arrrgh Begorah!

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As pirates, we do love our kittens. Having a cat or three on board helps keep the rats out of the apple barrel, so to speak. They are also lucky to have in your homes, but beware of one falling overboard! The Leprechaun Pirates often practice with their patron cat, named Kit, a beautiful and adventurous black boy who adopted our drummer a while back.

Kitten Superstition on the High Seas

As our own Dread Pirate Morgaine can attest, having cats on board a Pirate Ship is sure to bring good luck. She has sailed the information seas to find this entry in Wiki

Cats were believed to have miraculous powers that could protect ships from dangerous weather. Sometimes, fishermen’s wives would keep black cats at home too, in the hope that they would be able to use their influence to protect their husbands at sea. It was believed to be lucky if a cat approached a sailor on deck, but unlucky if it only came halfway, and then retreated.

Another popular belief was that cats could start storms through magic stored in their tails. If a ship’s cat fell or was thrown overboard, it was thought that it would summon a terrible storm to sink the ship and that if the ship was able to survive, it would be cursed with nine years of bad luck. Other beliefs included: if a cat licked its fur against the grain, it meant a hailstorm was coming; if it sneezed it meant rain; and if it was frisky it meant wind.

British and Irish sailors considered adopting a black “ship’s cat” because it would bring good luck.Cats eat rodents, which can damage ropes and stores of grain on board, and they are intelligent animals, so a high level of care was directed toward them to keep them happy. A ship’s cat would also create a sense of home and security to sailors who could be away from home for a long time.

What’s In Your Sporran?

We Leprechaun Pirates have an assortment of other cats as well. Five official cats in all add to the luck they bring us on each journey. Clearly we need to write a song about our lucky cats. While we don’t normally keep them in our sporran, we recommend that everyone coming to the Highland Fling this weekend bring their sporran and fill it up with goodies to bring home. And while pirates as a rule don’t wear kilts, you can wear yours and join in the kilt competition. We are continuing our quest to lift the curse that turned us into Leprechauns, so please come and share what ever luck you have with us. We would love to hear your tales of and cat or kitten superstition you ascribe to as well.

Feel free to share our lore about pirates and kitten superstition on the high seas by clicking on a gold doubloon below.

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We leave the high seas behind to join with those of like mind this weekend near the shire of Shakopee. It is our quest to find friends and lift the curse that continues to haunt our days as Leprechaun Pirates. We did not know when we stepped out our front doors seeking adventure what awaited us. Truly, the tales of adventure lured us away from our safe homes into the unknown, as oft has been told.

“He often used to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river:
its springs were at every doorstep and every path was its tributary.
‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,’ he used to say.
‘You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to.'”
– Frodo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring, Three Is Company ~ by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Songs Begin

We will sing songs and make merry, and ask for help in lifting this curse from all who come to us. Because we are pirates, we will be seeking prizes from stage to stage and between as well. Leprechauns have huge appetites for food, fun and mischief. This business is back breaking work, the Dread Pirate Ogsnart can attest, as he’s been fitted with a back brace and is currently on shore leave. If you’ve never heard the tale of our curse, this is how it began:

“I was a pirate brave and bold, standing six foot four
I grinned a mighty pirate grin for the gold that was in store.
I overheard a crewman say, a pirate brave and tipsy,
‘Boys we’ve hit a little snag it’s guarded by a gypsy’

Join the Quest

We welcome you to come join us on our quest at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival this weekend August 20th and 21st 2016 because the theme is Silk Road: Discover the Riches. There will even be a Pirate Hat making activity in the special events field, for all of you who want to join our quest, or even start your own.

And because riches shared are the easiest to discover, click on one of our gold doubloons below to share this with your friends.